San Jose council candidate accuses opponent of “scheme” to suppress Latino votes

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San Jose City Council District 8 candidate Sylvia Arenas listens to a question during the 2016 San Jose City Council Candidates Forum in the San Jose City Council Chambers in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

The tight race for San Jose’s District 8 council seat remains unsettled, but as elections officials counted thousands of ballots Thursday, the race’s front-runner Sylvia Arenas accused her opponent Jimmy Nguyen of scheming to suppress votes from Latino residents.

Nguyen’s been camped out at the county elections office since Tuesday, watching workers count the district’s vote-by-mail ballots. Arenas says she walked in Thursday to find him challenging signatures — but only on certain ballots.

“It’s discouraging that Jimmy Nguyen has personally resorted to this method now that he has lost his lead,” Arenas posted on Facebook. “The majority of challenged ballots are directed specifically toward Latino voters. This kind of targeting is not only offensive, but a racially charged manner of maneuvering the system.”

Nguyen on Tuesday emerged ahead of Arenas by more than 500 votes, but by Thursday, his rival was leading by 56 votes. The tight margin in the race will likely trigger an automatic recount.

Nguyen said his team questioned just eight ballot signatures and Arenas challenged far more within 30 minutes. And since elections officials ultimately decide which ballots will be counted, Nguyen said, it’s impossible for him to “suppress” votes.

“With the election still undecided, and the uncertainty that both campaigns face, it is important for us to continue to maintain respect and civility, rather than log unreasonable accusations,” Nguyen added.

Anita Torres, a spokeswoman at the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters’ office, said it’s not uncommon for candidates or observers to challenge ballot signatures during the vote canvassing process. She said those ballots aren’t counted until a supervisor decides whether a ballot signature matches the one on file. Elections officials will begin reviewing challenged ballots 2 p.m. Friday.

If this dramatic scene at the elections office sounds like Déjà vu — it is.

When District 4 Councilman Manh Nguyen in June lost to Lan Diep, his team hovered over elections officials to watch — and challenge — the ballot counts. After a subsequent recount funded by Nguyen affirmed his loss, he sued to challenge the election results. The case will be heard later this month.

Ramona Giwargis is the San Jose City Hall reporter at The Mercury News. After stints in Eureka, Salinas and Merced, Giwargis returned to San Jose to cover local government and politics for her hometown newspaper. Giwargis won numerous awards for investigative journalism and is a graduate of San Jose State University.